Ham mock-horse



(No Model.)

M. A. BAILEY. ,HAMMOGK HORSE. K No. 553,023. Patented 33.11. 14, 18%. I

NVENTU/ @l @af/Wau WITNESSES: C

ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT rEicE.

MARK A. BAILEY, OF BUTLER, INDIANA.

HAMMOCK-HORSE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 553,023, dated January 14, 1896.

Application led August l, 1895. Serial NoI 557,872. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARK A. BAILEY, of Butler, in the county of De Kalb and State of Indiana, have invented an Improved Hammock Horse or Support, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved hammock support or horse, and it is intended to support a hammock in the proper position independent of all other supporting devices.

It frequently happens that when it is Vdesired to hang a hammock, there are no suitable supports to 'which to attach the same. I have, therefore, devised a foldable and portable support, which can be carried about with the hammock, so that said hammock can be hung in any place desired.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple support, one which can be quickly and easily set up Whenever desired, and one which, when not in use, can be folded and taken apart and packed in with the han1- mock, thus taking up very little additional space.

Vitli these objects in view my invention consists in the peculiar construction of the several parts and the novel manner of connecting and arranging said parts, all of which will be more fully described hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure l is a perspective view showing my improved support or horse set up and supporting a hammock. Fig. 2 is a View of one end of the support. Fig. 3 is a detail view illustrating the manner of folding the sections, and Fig. 1i shows the sections folded and ready for packing.

In constructing asupport in accordance with my invention, I employ a top rail or beam, A, the supporting-legs B, which are connected at their upper end to the top rail or beam, as hereinafter described, and the brace-arms C, which are connected to the ltop rail, and legs serving to hold said legs in position, and the spreader-arms I), which are connected to each leg and serve to spread said legs apart when the support is setup, and thus provide a broad base i'or the device to rest upon.

Having now outlined the general construction of my device by reciting the component parts thereof, I will describe the said parts in detail, and by referring to the drawings it will be seen that near each end of the outer rail or beam is made a horizontal longitudinal slot E, and passing through said slots are the bolts F, which connect the legs B to the top rail or beam, the purpose of said slot being to permit the bolt to slide therein when it is desired to fold the legs and braces, as hereinafter described.

The top rail or beam is preferably Wedgeshaped or triangular in cross-section, so that the legs can rest flat upon the sides thereof and still be spread when the device is setup. The braces C are pivotally connected to the ends of the top rail or beam, and are connected With the legs at points about midway their lengths. Spacingavashers Gr Will beinterposed between the ends of the braces and the top rail for the purpose of holding said braces a suthcient distance from the rail to permit the legs to pass between said rail and braces when folding the said parts, as most clearly shown in Figs. 3 and EL. The spreaderarms I) are .pivotally connected to the legs at their outer ends at points below the at tachment of the braces, and said spreaderarms are pivotally connected to each other at points intermediate their ends, so that the inner ends of said spreader-arms overlap each other, as shown in Fig. 3, and the inner ends of said armsare beveled, as shown at d, which beveled ends are adapted to bear upon the inclined shoulders CZ, formed upon each arm near the rpivotal points, the purpose of such shoulder being to prevent the arms passing beyond a given horizontal line. Supportinghooks H II are secured in the under side of the outer rail or beam, A, at any desired points, and upon these hooks is hung the hammock .I as clearly shown in Fig. l.

In practice I prefer to divide the top rail or beam into two parts for convenience in packing', and in order to make the joint as strong as possible when the sections are united I divide said top rail or beam upon an incline, as shown at @c at, and at the inner end of each inclined face I arrange the metallic guides or keepers y y, which receive the tapered ends z of each section, and thus securely unite the two sections ot' the top raiL By having the rail spliced, as shown, and by having one keeper upon the upper side IOO and the other keeper upon the lower yside a strong joint is obtained, one jvhich is neat and compact, and one in which the parts are not at all likely to become disengaged.

Now, in operation, the support can be folded as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and packed in with the hammock. lVhen it is desired to set up such support, it is only necessary to pull the legs down, by Whichfoperation the bolt connecting said legs to the top rail or beam is caused to slide in the longitudinal groove in said beam, and after said legs have been drawn down until the bolt reaches the inner end of the slot the spreader-arms are then drawn down for the purpose of spreading the legs. After each section has then been adjusted the. two sections of the top rail are joined together by sliding the endse' into the keepers y, and the support is then ready to receive the hammock.

In taking down the support the sections of the top rail are iirst disconnected, the spreader-arms folded up, and then the legs folded up against the ends of the top rail or beam, as most clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4f. The hook is so placed upon the bottom of the rail or beam that when the parts are folded the said hook Will not interfere in any Way with any of said parts.

The top rail being wedge-shaped, beveled, or 'cham fe red permits the attachment of a leg of uniform thickness, and also aids in keeping said legs spread apart, and in order to permit a more compact fold I prefer to construct the rear portions of the top rail or beam with straight or vertical sides, as most clearly shown at a.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a hammock support, the combination, With the top rail or beam, slotted longitudinallyy as described, of the legs connected to the said rail or beam by means of a bolt passr ing through said slot, the brace arms connected to the top rail or beam and legs, and the spreader arms, connected to said legs, at points below the point of attachment of the braces to said legs, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a hammock support, the combination With the upper rail or beam, slotted longitudinally near each end, of the legs pivotally connected to said rail or beam at their upper ends, by means of a bolt passing through said slots, and brace arms connected to the top rail or 4beam and said legs, the spacing Washers interposed between said top rail and brace arms, and the spreader arms connected to the legs having beveled en ds and inclined shoulders, all arranged substantially as shown and described.

' 3. In ahammock support, the combination, with the top rail or beam, made in two sections, and having an inclined splice, of the keepers attached to the opposite faces of the said top rail sections, said top rail sections having horizontal longitudinal slots near each end, the ylegs pivotally connected at their upper ends to the top rail by means of a bolt passing through said section, the brace arms, the spacing Washers, the f spreader arms constructed as described, and the supporting hooks attached to the bottom of the top rail or beam, and in such position as to be free of f contact of all other parts when said parts are folded, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I afhx my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

MARK A. BAILEY. lVitnesses:

C. J. CoATs, VIOLA BAILEY. 

